Application of liquid to filaments



Sept. 16, 1969 BRIDGES ETAL 3,467,062

APPLICATION OF noun) T0 FILAMENTS Filed Nov. 2a, 1967 Invenlor: TrevorFrederic Bridges Ian Ernest Climie ttomeys,

United States Patent 3,467,062 APPLICATION OF LIQUID T0 FILAMENTS TrevorFrederick Bridges, 106 Carsington Crescent, Derby,

England, and Ian E. Climie, 196 Baginton Road, Allestree, Coventry,England Filed Nov. 28, 1967, Ser. No. 686,273 Claims priority,application Great Britain, Nov. 24, 1966, 52,633/66 Int. Cl. Bc 1/00,1/02 U.S. Cl. 118-216 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thisinvention relates to apparatus for the continuous application of aliquid to a plurality of moving bundles of continuous filaments.

Liquids such as lubricants or finishes, for example an emulsion oflubricating oil and water, may be applied to bundles of textilefilaments by causing the filament bundles to impinge in approximatelytangential relationship on a treatment roll, the surface of which iswetted with the liquid to be applied. In some applications, where forexample, a number of spinnerets are grouped together, it is convenientto treat all the bundles of filaments from one group of spinnerets onone treatment roll. Thus, for example, in the melt spinning of filamentsof such polymers as nylon a plurality of bundles may be cooled, treatedif necessary with steam, and lubricated with a suitable textilelubricant composition on such a treatment roll.

It has been found that when three or more such bundles of filaments aretreated with a liquid on the surface of a single roll, the outer pair ofbundles of filaments pick up substantially more liquid than the innerbundle or bundles of filaments.

According to the invention, apparatus for the continuous application ofa liquid to a plurality of moving bundles of continuous filamentscomprises a treatment roll, the peripheral surface of which is dividedinto a plurality of cylindrical sections of substantially equal axiallength, a reservoir for the liquid to be applied into which thetreatment roll dips, guide means to ensure presentation of each bundleof filaments to the surface of a different one of the cylindricalsections of the treatment roll, and wind up means for the bundles offilaments.

A treatment roll which is suitable for use in this invention may be, forexample, of glass, ceramic, or carborundum or alumina bonded withsynthetic resin or other suitable bonding material, or it may be a metalroll coated with another material, such as a ceramic. It must in anycase have a surface which is readily Wettable by the liquid which is tobe applied. Division of the peripheral surface of the treatment rollinto a plurality of cylindrical sections may be effected, for examples,by providing grooves or cuts in the peripheral surface or by applying tothe peripheral surface at the appropriate circumferential lines, acomposition which resists wetting by the liquid which is to be applied.Alternatively, of course, the treatment roll can be made by assemblingtogether a plurality of suitably sized cylindrical sections, separatedby suitable 3,467,062 Patented Sept. 16, 1969 distance pieces. It willbe understood that the various sections are to be of substantially equalaxial length, and while some slight tolerance of inequality may bepermitted, the purpose is to ensure by the equality of the width of thesections that the amount of liquid supplied to each bundle of filamentsis the same. If desired the treatment roll may have two outercylindrical sections which need not be of equal size, divided in thesame way from the next inner cylindrical sections. These outercylindrical sections will not be used for the application of liquid tothe bundles of filaments, but will ensure that any damage to the edgesof the treatment roll does not result in irregular application ofliquid.

Apparatus in accordance with the invention may comprise more than one ofsaid treatment rolls each with its associated reservoir containingliquid which is to be applied to the filament bundles.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic side elevation of apparatus in accordance withthe invention,

FIGURE 2 is a plan of the apparatus of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a partly sectionad plan of a modified form of the treatmentroll of apparatus according to the invention.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the apparatus illustrated is intended forthe application of textile lubricants to bundles of continuous polyamidefilaments. It will be assumed that the filaments are melt spun from fourspinnerets (not shown) to provide four filament bundles 1, 2, 3 and 4.These bundles, after cooling and/ or steaming as desired, are ledbetween pairs of guides 5 to the surface of a treatment roll, generallydesignated by the numeral 6. The roll 6 comprises four equal cylindricalsections 7, 8, 9 and 10 on to the peripheral surfaces of which thefilament bundles 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively impinge. The treatment roll6 dips into a reservoir 11 containing a liquid textile lubricant and theroll is rotated at such a speed as to provide the correct amount ofliquid on the filaments. The textile lubricant is supplied to thereservoir 11 through a pipe 12. After this treatment the filamentbundles are led between further pairs of guides 13 and impinge upon theseparate cylindrical sections 14, 15, 16 and 17 of a second treatmentroll, generally designated by the numeral 18. The treatment roll 18 dipsinto a reservoir 19 containing a liquid textile lubricant and the rollis rotated at such a speed as to provide the correct amount of liquid onthe filaments. The textile lubricant, which is supplied to the reservoir19 by a pipe 20, may, or may not, be of the same composition as theliquid in the reservoir 11. After the treatment the filament bundles 1,2, 3 and 4 are wound into separate cakes on bobbins 21, 22, 23 and 24,respectively, after passage over pairs of godets 25, 26, 27 and 28,respectively.

The treatment roll 6, which may be made, for example, of ceramicmaterial, is shown as being made from a single cylindrical roll, thesections 7, 8, 9 and 10 being defined by circumferential grooves 29formed in the surface of the roll. In the treatment roll 18 thecylindrical roll sections 14, 15, 16 and 17 are separate and spaced fromeach other by distance pieces in the form of discs 30 having a diameterwhich is smaller than the diameter of the roll sections 14-17. Each ofthe rolls 6 and 18 comprises a shaft 31 which is rotatably mounted inbearings 32 secured to the associated reservoir 11 or 19. The shafts 31are rotated by any suitable drive means (not shown).

Each of the rolls 6 and 18 also comprises cylindrical end sections 33separated from the adjacent sections 7 3 and (or 14 and 17) to protectthe ends of these latter sections from damage.

FIGURE 3 shows a modified form of treatment roll, generally designatedby the numeral 34, which is intended for applying liquid to five bundlesof filaments. This roll has its peripheral surface divided into fivecylindrical sections 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39 by narrow circumferentialstrips 40 of a composition which resists wetting by the liquid intowhich the roll dips. For example, the strips 40 may be thin strips of asilicone coating composition. Alternatively, the strips 40 may be formedby the peripheral surface of distance pieces 41 formed of a materialsuch as polytetrofiuoroethylene.

FIGURE 3 also shows how the treatment roll 34 may be formed fromcylindrical core members 42, made for example of metal, which have theirperipheral surfaces coated with a layer 43 of a composition which isreadily wettable by the liquid into which the roll dips, for example acoating of ceramic material.

By the use of the above described apparatus liquid can be appliedsubstantially uniformly to each of the filament bundles.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for the continuous application of liquid to a plurality ofmoving bundles of continuous filaments comprising an integral treatmentroll, the peripheral surface of which is divided into a plurality ofcylindrical contact sections of substantially equal axial length, areservoir for the liquid to be applied into which the treatment rolldips, guide means to ensure presentation of each bundle of filaments tothe surface of a different one of the cylindrical contact sections ofthe treatment roll, and wind up means for the bundles of filaments.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which at least a surface layer ofeach of said cylindrical contact sections is made of a material which isreadily wettable by the liquid which is to be applied.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which said readily wettablematerial is selected from the group consisting of glass, ceramic, bondedcarborundum and bonded alumina.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the division of theperipheral surface of the treatment roll into a plurality of cylindricalsections is effected by providing circumferential grooves in theperipheral surface of the roll.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the division of theperipheral surface of the treatment roll into a plurality of cylindricalsections is effected by applying to the peripheral surface of the rollcircumferential strips of a composition which resists wetting by theliquid which is to be applied.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which said composition is asilicone.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the treatment rollcomprises a plurality of substantially identical roll sections separatedby suitable distance pieces.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which said distance pieces arediscs having a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the rollsections.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which the distance pieces arediscs of a material which resists wetting by the liquid which is to beapplied.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, in which the distance pieces aremade of polytetrafiuoroethylene.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the treatment rollcomprises two outer cylindrical guard sections in addition to saidplurality of cylindrical contact sections.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least one additionaltreatment roll each with its associated reservoir for liquid to beapplied to the bundles of filaments, the peripheral surface of the oreach additional treatment roll being divided into a plurality ofcylindrical sections substantially equal axial length, and further guidemeans to ensure presentation of each bundle of filaments to the surfaceof a different one of the cylindrical sections of the or each additionaltreatment roll.

13. Apparatus for the continuous application of liquid to a plurality ofmoving bundles of continuous filaments which comprises a rotatableshaft, a treatment roll fixed to said shaft, said roll comprising aplurality of contact sections, a reservoir for treating liquid, saidroll being mounted to dip into said reservoir, guide means for directinga separate filament bundle to each of said sections and wind up meansfor said filament bundles.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 397,091 1/1889 Mortimer 118-2222,289,862 7/ 1942. Bailey 118--223 XR 2,513,294 7/1950 Barrett et al.118-249 2,673,546 3/ 1954 Newton 118--234 XR 3,288,107 11/1966 Conrad118234 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,231,404 4/ 1960 France.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner ROBERT C. SMITH, Assistant Examiner

